1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to overspray, errant particle and other airborne contaminant control systems and devices. More particularly the invention is directed to such a system having a main unit and a remote unit, where the remote unit is connected by an elongated duct to the main unit. Generally, the main unit creates a vacuum which is brought into communication with the remote unit by the elongated duct. The remote unit brings a negative pressure differential into the enclosed area removing the aforementioned overspray. The system""s main unit and remote unit may be adapted to multiple configurations to permit them in concert to work in small inaccessible areas. The main unit may still be employed singly in areas to which it is accessible.
2. Summary of the Invention
Equipment developed to capture and filter contaminants generated in the workplace such as welding fumes, sanding and grinding residue, spraying liquids, such as paint which produce odors, toxic fumes, and volatile organic compounds is well known. The majority of this equipment consists of an enclosure, the enclosure housing a motor, blower and a cone, generating the suction necessary to pull the contaminants through a filtering system, often a series of filters, each filter having a specific function. These enclosures are generally fixed.
Capturing liquid contaminants stands separate from fumes or dust contaminants because they must control toxic fumes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), objectionable odors and wet particles that adhere to the skin, clothing and other equipment in the workplace. For this reason, the area for containment is a booth that will accommodate a car, truck, plane or equipment which prevents aforesaid contaminants into the surrounding environment.
There is a requirement for a system which is portable, flexible, and treats a wide variety of applications and is unenclosed without presenting harm or danger to the workers or environment. The requirements for this equipment must include an approved method for capturing solid, liquid or gaseous elements including explosive elements. The use of the portable, unenclosed device of the instant invention is desired to be employed in the production, repair, replacement, overhaul, or revamping of devices such as equipment, cars, trucks, aircraft, military hardware, civilian hardware, ships, bridges and the like. The device must also have the capability to be used where welding, sanding and painting (coating) on a smaller scale is being performed, such as small on-the-spot jobs. The capability to evacuate odors and fumes away from the workpiece, no matter where that workpiece is located, is required.
Spraying of coatings, abrasives, and other atomizable substances is a highly efficient way to deliver such substances to a surface or workpiece. A problem encountered is the overspray or errant particles generated by the spraying. This causes environmental issues by placing possibly harmful material into the air. It further endangers the workers spraying the substances, who may breathe the overspray which may be harmful.
The system and devices of the invention may be employed in conjunction with spraying or coating systems which may be employed for touch-up work or small repair jobs. These jobs may be deep in the interior of a ship, aircraft or vehicle. Often it is difficult to gain access to such locations on the aforementioned work areas in order to treat, coat or paint the work pieces located there. Once access is achieved there is often no viable way to evacuate the overspray, errant particles, fumes and the like from such enclosed areas as inside an aircraft, ship or other large vehicle (bus, train, etc.). This is because the conventional overspray evacuation equipment is heavy and bulky and cannot be transported proximal such a location being sprayed. By use of the instant invention, one may afford all the benefits of an airborne pollution control device in such an inaccessible or remote location.
The invention is a portable airborne contamination control system with a main unit cabinet and a remote unit. The invention is capable of capturing solid, liquid, and gaseous elements in a single cabinetry which may be adjustable to a variety of applications including the connection to a remote unit. The main unit can stand alone and operate in a conventional mode, such as in collection of overspray from the coating or spraying of an exterior of a large aircraft for example. The main airborne contamination control unit is a cabinet including a motor in communication with an air treatment path. The motor generates a vacuum or negative pressure which communicates through the adjustable ducts, filters, treatment systems and even may be employed to exhaust undesirable air which has been entrained with the errant particles, VOCs, overspray and the like. The main unit has a variety of configurations enhancing its flexibility.
The main unit has the capacity to be connected to a lightweight remote unit. The elongated and flexible duct connecting the main unit to the remote unit may be 50 feet or longer as required, its length could be extended by using a higher horsepower motor. The term duct is intended to include devices of a similar nature such as hoses, flexible pipes, and the like. The remote unit is highly portable and of a small dimension which permits it to be employed in areas inaccessible to the main unit. The remote unit weighs and is dimensioned significantly less than the main unit which affords it greater mobility and permits the remote unit access and be used in remote locations where the main unit could not fit or be placed due to its weight. It is believed that the remote unit will weigh less than 100 pounds. The main unit is connected to the remote unit by an elongated and flexible duct. Both the main unit and remote unit have a general cabinet structure with mounting structure designed to receive dual or single articulated suction ducts thereon. The articulated suction duct(s) may be placed proximal a workpiece which is being coated, abraded or treated by spraying. The articulated suction duct(s) collect overspray, errant particles, odors and fumes and transports them to and through a filter located in the main unit. The filtered air is then exhausted through an exhaust port on the main unit. A second elongated duct, tube, pipe or the like may be connected to the exhaust port to transport the air to a distant location. The invention permits the main unit to be employed independently with easily accessible locations as well as in cooperation with the remote unit in order to enjoy the benefits in difficult to reach locations.
When using the main unit, one may place the articulated suction duct(s) precisely at the location where the contamination is being generated. When the main unit is connected to the remote unit, one may place the remote unit with single or dual articulated suction ducts attached thereto precisely at the location where the contamination is being generated.
The portable airborne contamination control device with a remote unit basically has two parts. The main unit includes a wheeled cabinet-type housing including a motor-blower, cone, filter, control panels, multiple intake and exhaust ports. The remote unit has a general cabinet-like configuration which may include multiple intake mounts, single intake mounts and an exhaust port to which the elongated duct is designed to be mounted. It may be wheeled or affixed to a mobile vehicle. It may be placed on a portable lifting device, such as scissor lift, to permit the main unit to be moved up and down while men or machines are treating the workpiece. The remote unit is in communication with the main unit""s housing by an elongated duct.
The main unit includes a housing having a top side wall, a bottom side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a front side wall and a back side wall. The walls define a generally rectangular cabinet with an interior and an exterior.
The interior of the cabinet of the main unit is separated into a plurality of subassemblies. The first subassembly includes a motor-blower. The motor-blower may be chosen to be any of a variety of sizes (horsepower). In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the motor-blowers may be 1, 1.5, 3 and 5 horsepower. Versions of the invention with motors of greater or lesser horsepower have been contemplated. The instant device shown herein is a 5 horsepower explosion-proof motor-blower. Additionally, a motor cage unit is provided which allows precise alignment of the blower with an inlet cone. This maximizes suction efficiency. Further, it permits an interchangeability of motor and blower sizes to meet different suction needs. When using the remote unit, the energy of the motor is essentially transferred from main unit through the elongated and flexible duct to the articulatable suction duct(s) connected to the remote unit. There may be energy losses due to the length of the elongated duct connecting the main unit to the remote unit, however, these may be overcome by choosing a strong enough motor-blower.
The second subassembly may be considered to be a filter housing. The filter housing may contain any of a variety of filters depending on the application the device is being specifically employed for. The motor-blower is in communication with the filter housing. A false bottom is provided proximal the bottom wall. The false bottom permits a power conduit to run from the lower portion of the right side wall to the control panel and then from the control panel to the motor-blower. The false bottom adds structural integrity which would permit the unit to be picked up and moved by a fork-lift, crane, elevator or other lifting device.
The left side wall includes an opening through which a portion of the motor-blower protrudes. The left side wall further includes an opening to permit electrical power for the motor-blower. The left side wall is removably attached to the housing. When the left side wall is removed, the motor-blower may be removed by sliding the motor-blower and its support assembly from the subhousing in which it resides for maintenance. The left side wall further includes a handle mounted on the exterior for pushing the unit. The handle doubles as a storage device for the power cord. The handle extends from the housing a sufficient length to protect the portion of the motor-blower which extends from the exterior of the housing from damage.
The right side wall includes a control panel. A switch may be used on the control panel to turn the motor on or off. The control panel further shows the general condition of the filters, including the life remaining. An overload control is also provided. Other control systems may be located here. The right side wall further includes a handle mounted on the exterior for pushing the unit. The handle extends from the housing a sufficient length to protect the control panel from damage.
The bottom side wall includes a plurality of wheels mounted thereto which permits the unit to be easily rolled. The wheels bring the unit off the ground about 5 inches. This would permit the times of a fork-lift to easily fit underneath the unit. The wheels may be locked in place, securing the unit to a specific location.
The back side wall is a solid and integral wall member.
The front side wall includes a door and an exhaust port. The door is located on the right side of the front side wall. The door includes a seal. The door may be opened by actuating a handle. Once opened, access to the filter assembly and the plenum is secured. The exhaust port includes means to mount an exhaust hose thereto. The exhaust hose may be brought to the outside so that any toxic fumes picked up be the main unit or the remote unit would be transported away. This exhaust path may safely take the toxic gases, particulates, etcetera to an area acceptable to their disposal and treatment.
The top side wall includes a downdraft access door. The downdraft access door gives access to a chamber which resides beneath the door. Next to the downdraft access door is a first panel.
The first panel may have two or more different configurations. In a first configuration the first panel includes a pair of duct-mounting apertures. The duct-mounting apertures are designed to mate with the articulated suction ducts. The articulated suction ducts include means to permit them to articulate and remain in the position that they are placed. This is the configuration which permits the main unit to operate independently.
In the second configuration the first panel includes a central duct mounting aperture. An elongated central duct is provided. The effective length of the central duct varies with the motor-blower. In the case of the 5 horsepower explosion-proof motor-blower, the elongated central duct has a 10 inch diameter and may be as 20 long as 50 feet. The dimensions of the elongated central duct varies with the horsepower of the motor-blower. The elongated central duct has a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the central duct-mounting aperture by any conventional means. The second end would be connected to the remote unit. This permits the air pollution control unit to operate in generally inaccessible areas.
The first and second configurations may be changed simply by removing and/or changing panels with the appropriate configuration. This may be done easily without special tools. By removal of both configurations, an area for spraying right on the downdraft portion of the main cabinet is provided.
The main unit may also be considered to be comprised of other equivalent systems and devices, there are many such air suction devices which may be adapted to use the remote unit of the instant invention.
A remote unit is provided. The remote unit is small in weight and in dimension to the main unit. The remote unit includes a top side wall, a bottom side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a front side wall and a back side wall. The walls define a generally rectangular cabinet. The right side wall includes a central duct-mounting aperture. The remote unit central duct-mounting aperture is designed to receive the second end of the elongated central duct. The top side wall of the remote unit may include a single duct-mounting aperture or a pair of duct-mounting apertures. In the single duct-mounting aperture embodiment the aperture is generally located in the center of the remote unit top side wall. In the pair of duct mounting aperture embodiment the two apertures would be located side by side on the remote unit top side wall. The duct-mounting aperture(s), either single or double, are designed to mate with one or two articulated suction ducts depending on the embodiment employed. The articulated suction duct includes means to permit it to articulate and remain in the position that it is placed by the user. It is to be understood that the articulated suction duct or ducts are remote (distant) from the main unit in this configuration. The remote unit may be wheeled for ease of movement.
There are other possible configurations for the remote unit. For instance, in one case, the top side wall may be comprised of a pivotally mounted door. When the door is opened, a screen support or the like may be located therein. The screen support is similar to the screen shown by element A in FIG. 9A. A small workpiece may be placed on the screen support and sprayed or coated and the overspray, errant particles, VOCs and the like would be caused to travel through the remote unit and in to the elongated duct which is connected to the main unit. The vacuum imparts energy to move the particles to the treatment area of the main unit, and then the air would be subsequently exhausted in a safe manner.
Another possible configuration for the remote unit is where one of the sidewalls would be removed and a porous surface or prefilter would be substituted. In this embodiment the porous surface or prefilter would be preferably located on the sidewall opposite the central duct mounting aperture to which the elongated duct is affixed. This configuration may be employed where a general evacuation of airborne contaminants of the types mentioned throughout this patent is desired.
The invention in all of its variants and embodiments is designed to permit the coating, spray painting, or touch-up work to be performed in areas which would be inaccessible to the main unit. The main unit has an approximate weight of 600 lbs. The remote unit may weigh as much as 70 lbs. The remote unit is of a much smaller dimension than the main unit described herein. The remote unit may have integral wheels or be supported by a cart. It is to be understood that the remote unit may easily be employed with other equipment in this arena of technology. One merely needs to adapt the width of the elongated duct or hose to fit the intake of any air intake device available or conceivable.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be thought of as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out any of the purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system with an independently employable main unit with the capability to be connected with a remote unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system which may be employed in accessible and inaccessible areas.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a first configuration which permits two articulatable suction ducts to be affixed thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a second configuration which permits a single elongated duct to be affixed thereto, the elongated duct to be connected to a remote unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a top portion which has a pair of apertures which permits two articulatable suction ducts to be affixed thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a top portion which has a single apertures which permits an articulatable suction duct to be affixed thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a top portion which includes a pivotally mounted door, which may be opened to reveal a porous support structure or downdraft structure underneath, which permits a workpiece to be placed and treated thereon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a sidewall which is porous or includes a prefilter to evacuate contaminated air from an enclosed space which the main unit cannot access.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a side wall which has an aperture to receive the elongated duct from the main unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a configuration which employs a downdraft area which permits small items to be treated (sprayed, welded, coated etcetera.) directly on the main unit.